A variety of supports, including those having single or plural pedestals, have been utilized for supporting tables, chairs, occasional pieces and other structures in an upright, substantially level position. Typically, such furniture is not affixed to flooring and is relatively easily moved when not needed. Also, in the conventional office, commercial establishment or home there is enough space that furniture items can remain in the same place both when in use or not in use. However, there are a number of situations in which various types of furniture, particularly tables and seating, either must or at least for the sake of convenience should be folded up or broken down for compact storage when not in use. There are many situations in which space is at such a premium that it must be capable of plural uses such as for eating, entertaining, sleeping or as an office. The furniture type and arrangement for one use is not compatible with some or all of the other uses, yet space constraints are such that furniture not currently required be removed and compactly stored. Examples of this type of space constraint are mobile homes, motor homes, cruisers and sailboats big enough to have cabin facilities. There are other situations where the space constraints are not as demanding but the usage is either intermittent or seasonal and storage between such uses is either essential or at least very desirable. In this case, the space for storage is often very limited and thus at a premium. Examples of this type of furniture usage include patios, pool side facilities and deck areas around a home or a commercial or recreational facility or the like.
Because of the need for compact storage and of ease of erection and removal, many types of folding furniture, particularly chairs and tables, have been developed. These do provide the desired compactness for storage but because they must employ various types of hinge joints or various fastener arrangements to give the furniture knockdown or "KD" capability they normally lose some of the rigidity desired in use as a result of the furniture being repeatedly changed from one mode to another. Further, such folding and unfolding often causes this condition to become progressively more noticeable.
There are also situations in which the furniture is heavy and cumbersome to handle unless it can be, at least in part, broken down into some of its component parts. Another item which may cause difficulty in moving or storing conventional furniture, whether or not it folds, is the necessity for either plural leg supports or a large base to support and stabilize the furniture.